What Happened To The Bucs’ Pass Defense?
December 29th, 2025
Vita Vea (50) and Logan Hall (90) celebrate with YaYa Diaby after YaYa sacked Miami QB Quinn Ewers.
Did dudes go down to Mexico during the bye and drink the wrong water?
Something happened to the Bucs at the bye.
The Bucs had their bye in Week 9; they entered it absolutely kicking the stuffing out of the slimy Saints on the road in Lincoln’s Tomb. Baker Mayfield was clearly hurt and could barely do anything aside from hand off. It was the defense that rose up and curb-stomped the slimy Saints.
This team has not been the same since.
Well, Jenna Laine of ESPN has haunting information on the Bucs’ pass defense. In the first eight games of the season, it was excellent.
After the bye? Only the Cardinals have been roasted more by quarterbacks than the Bucs.
Through Week 9, the Bucs allowed a QBR of 43.4 to opposing quarterbacks, the best in the NFL over that span. Then from Weeks 10-17, the Bucs have allowed a QBR of 64.3, trailing only the Cardinals for worst in the league. Arizona is 0-7 in that span.
And the Bucs are 1-7 since the bye, their lone win when they squeezed out a three-point victory against the Cardinals.
This is more and more looking like a repeat of 2011. The Bucs were 4-2 after beating over Drew Brees, Sean Payton and the slimy Saints and headed to London in first place in the NFC South.
The Bucs lost in London to the Bears — then had a bye week — and lost the rest of the games that season. They left America in first place. They returned a totally different team.
What happened in London, aside from Raheem Morris and Aqib Talib getting into a hassle in a hotel lobby, is still a mystery.
Something flipped with that team and something flipped with the Bucs this season. What that is, Joe has no idea. And this year, the Bucs can’t blame an international game on losing their edge.
December 29th, 2025 at 7:02 am
Bowzo happened, him and his game plan.
December 29th, 2025 at 7:13 am
The players obviously don’t like the defensive scheme or the man that created it
December 29th, 2025 at 7:14 am
I’ve been a Bucs fan since its inception in 1976. I’ve watched some terrible teams, as documented in the Raise the Flags docuseries and seen some epic collapses, but this one really stings. And, that’s because I’ve grown accostomed to watching some really good Bucs’ teams over the last 5-6 years. Always competitive and entertaining. This year’s team, in its current state, is just terrible. No energy, no passion, no want to. I love many of the players. I just hate the way the team as a whole is playing. Bad play calling, no defense, poor kick-off coverage, poor execution – just all around bad. We need a new DC, a new OC, and a new special teams coordinator. And most of all a new HC.
December 29th, 2025 at 7:19 am
Went on vacation & never returned! Instead of using the time to refocus and rehab injuries, they decided to turn off & shut down for the year. Goes back to the coaching staff not being able to motivate professional players. After so many years the message gets lost no matter who is telling it. Time to retire! Let the Young coaches have a chance against the Panthers. Can’t do any worse than Bowles right now.
December 29th, 2025 at 7:20 am
JOE, not sure the purpose of this article. The pass defense of this team has been putrid for several years mainly since Bowles has been here. They can’t get off the field on third downs and getting a timely sack is something that we can only dream about. Maybe you just realizing it this past several games? Very confusing article.
December 29th, 2025 at 7:24 am
Also I’d like to know how many games that the Special teams have lost us this year. It doesn’t help a struggling Defense to have the opponent start at the 50 most of the time. Defending half the field reminds me of the Arena Football league.
December 29th, 2025 at 7:29 am
Bowles lost his edge. Time to turn your wings in Todd. You lost the team when you didn’t make a change early with the ST coach. That’s when the players stopped taking accountability. Why do so if the coaches don’t?
December 29th, 2025 at 7:33 am
Todd Bowles is what has happened. His schemes are stale and he does not have the talent to make it work, namely an edge rush and decent ILBs. The team probably has tired of being hung out to dry by Bowles as he will not change the scheme, so his players have checked out on him. It has gotten worse since the bye when he yanked Dean out in the Pats game to give his guy Ben Morrison some reps. Maybe the team also got tired of Todd playing faves and having no accountability for himself and the players as no one has been benched though Todd will throw them under the bus in his pressers. Fire Todd, for the good of the franchise, fire him after the net loss.
December 29th, 2025 at 7:35 am
Charlie Strong…..Linebackers are non-existent
December 29th, 2025 at 7:37 am
Well, Bowles even stated “he and the coaches can’t do anything else or any more”.
So if I am Licht, I take that as a resignation statement.
December 29th, 2025 at 7:44 am
Name another team that has ever consistently crapped the bed on kickoffs…. ON KICKOFFS!!!!! Our special teams are embarrassing… to have to kick it thru the end zone and give opposing teams great field position is a joke…no pass rush equals exposed secondary…poor coaching at all levels, no adjustments to inferior play, no accountability, supposedly cancers in the locker room, HC basically saying I have no answers, a GM not looking into or doing a trade to bolster pass rush, a DB who is bored….the list is endless… fire this guy ASAP or the fan base, even the diehards are gonna leave… DO THE RIGHT THING GLAZERS! No fans no money
December 29th, 2025 at 7:51 am
Todd Bowles weak sauce decisions in playoff loss to the Detroit Lions and a regular season loss to the Chiefs (Nov 2024), where he gave up rather than fighting utilL the end, leaving time outs on the field, because it was “prolonging the inevitable” rather than fighting to the end was the start of me souring on him. Since then ZERO confidence in the lost in space QUITTER. I imagine a lot of the players have not forgot either.
December 29th, 2025 at 8:09 am
So the Bucs lost 7 of their last 8 games?
That’s why everyone feels so good about them… not to mention 3 straight conference game losses.
Shesh!
December 29th, 2025 at 8:09 am
Terrible scheme and telegraphed blitzes. Basically, the usual from Clueless Todd.
December 29th, 2025 at 8:10 am
Clueless on and off the field
December 29th, 2025 at 8:12 am
ROD MUNCH REPORT 12.28.2025
Rod Munch Says:
December 28th, 2025 at 8:04 pm
Baker has now single handedly lost 4 games in a row with 1st place in the division on the line. FOUR!
Rod Munch Says:
December 28th, 2025 at 5:01 pm
How about a QB that doesn’t single handedly lose you four games in a row, that would help.
Rod Munch Says:
December 28th, 2025 at 4:34 pm
Baker has literally single handedly lost 4 games in a row.
Rod Munch Says:
December 28th, 2025 at 5:20 pm
I’m telling you, if players ripped into Baker for loses these games, it would be by far the best thing for the team
Rod Munch Says:
December 28th, 2025 at 11:15 pm
Remember this: If Baker isn’t complete inept and terrible these last four games, the Bucs literally win all four of them.
Rod Munch Says:
December 29th, 2025 at 12:04 am
If the Bucs win next week, and the Rams win out, then the Bucs will face the Rams again.
If that happens, I wonder if Baker will fake another injury when he’s thrown for 13 yards and 2 INTs in the first half of the game?
Rod Munch Says:
December 29th, 2025 at 12:21 am
Baker, most of the day, had plenty of time. His two INTs were terrible, and had nothing to do with pressure.
December 29th, 2025 at 8:22 am
Explosive plays over 25 yards is the difference, guys trying to do more than just their job.
December 29th, 2025 at 8:25 am
If Bowels main goal is to win the NFC South, he could have done that with Mac Jones, Garapolo, Mariota, Minshew, Huntley, Zak Wilson etc for less than 1/2 the price. Darnold was out there, how’s he doing? Baker blows. No feel, all he does is throw bullets as hard as he can. The great ones only fire them when they have to. $42M “OUCH!”
December 29th, 2025 at 8:28 am
go back and watch the 49ers vs Bears game last night. You notice every time the game got tight or either defense had the other team in long down and distance they attacked the QB instead of falling back into coverage and relying on a non -existent 4 man rush.
Perfect example, Phins were 2nd and goal from the 20 and instead of attacking what does Bowels do, fall back into coverage. They give up 11 -12 yards on the next play and then a easy peasy TD pass on the following play. Bowels plays scared consistently when his defense wants to attack. He is the problem and he needs to go now!
Until then the phrase 3rd and Bowels will be the joke of the day
December 29th, 2025 at 8:29 am
Chuckys Bucs Says:
December 29th, 2025 at 8:12 am
ROD MUNCH REPORT 12.28.2025
Blah blah blah. It’s so easy to pick one one player and blame them for everything. Rod left off Baker’s missed block when the field goal was blocked (that would have tied the game) or the Baker fumble (when the offensive tackle whiffed on the edge rusher). Let’s have a conversation about who had a great game instead – eh, no one.
December 29th, 2025 at 8:31 am
Clean the oven and flush the toilet. Bye Baker. Bye Todd.
December 29th, 2025 at 8:32 am
Their pass defense has been terrible for years. Just now the offense isnt playing well enough to cover up. When we gave up 4 tds and almost 350 yards to Sam Darnold for 35 points nobody cared because we scored 38 points. And everybody in this site pointing out how bad our defense was just got labeled a Bowles hater.
December 29th, 2025 at 8:38 am
I sure didn’t like what I saw on the sideline at the end of the game with Bucky Irving losing it and Tristan Wirfs trying to calm him down. Since Irving came back from his physical and apparently emotional injuries he has not been the same. Do we have another muscle hamster head case on our hands?
December 29th, 2025 at 8:39 am
two words happened: Todd Bowles
December 29th, 2025 at 8:41 am
They don’t care, that’s what happened. Both Dean & Winfield decided they would do whatever they wanted to yesterday instead of what the assignment called for. The result s were two huge plays given up and that seems to be where this team is at. Players just do what they want and what they feel is in their best interest and not what is best for the team.
December 29th, 2025 at 8:43 am
The Bucs team buying into the fake “I am that Man” silhouette.
December 29th, 2025 at 8:45 am
Looking back, Bucs should have let Teddy B practice the BYE and start him vs the Pats and Bills games to let Baker fully heal.
December 29th, 2025 at 8:46 am
Special teams coach and linebackers coaches are the worst in the nfl. No pass rush, can’t protect the Qb or run block, injuries and Winefield became a cancer. The future of this team doesn’t look good. WR can’t get any seperation Godwin old Evans lost a step still my favorite dude though and the rookie stopped catching the ball.
December 29th, 2025 at 8:48 am
Team checked out weeks ago. Total embarrassment from radio and this clown staff. How in the world is the special teams coach still have a job?!?!?!
To kick it out every single time because you know they can’t cover and do nothing to change it is insane!!! NO Accountability
God when is the radio experiment over
December 29th, 2025 at 8:49 am
Hire Matt Nagy from the chiefs.
Five years experience as OC, he helped develop possible the best QB in the NFL. Superbowl championships. Multiple.
If the Glazers truly want to become elite, that’s the path forward.
We’ll see a lot of suggestions going forward, but Nagy should be #1.
December 29th, 2025 at 8:49 am
Pass defense has been trash for years but the run defense has followed suit. They can’t stop anything. Special teams is garbage and with all those weapons on offense, they cant move the ball. Bring in new blood. Need a culture change and new identity.
December 29th, 2025 at 8:53 am
ALSO
Fans should boycott the final game. That would force the Glazers hand.
December 29th, 2025 at 8:54 am
They need to hire a head coach that will motivate the entire franchise.
December 29th, 2025 at 8:56 am
Everybody blaming the coaching staff and mainly Bowles. Knee jerk female reactions and blinders on. Bowles definitely needs to take blame and I’m leaning more on the side of a coaching change but, Bowles isn’t the one out there completely missing tackles. Throwing shoulders opposed to wrapping up. Bowles isn’t the one that bites on a player at the 5 yard line instead of staying with his assignment letting the guy go wide open for 60 plus yards. Bowles isn’t the one that forgets that they need to conceal the edge. These players in guarantee have been coached well, know where they should be but just aren’t that great. David has lost a few steps and Dennis never had any steps. That is on Bowles and Licht thinking they had something there. Bowles didn’t under throw 2 for interceptions although, Baker gets a pass right now bc he’s been amazing for the better part of 3.5 years. You guys think a new coach is just gonna magically flip a switch.
December 29th, 2025 at 9:01 am
This defense, especially the secondary and LBs have not been good for years now! Anyone claiming otherwise has been watching a different team than I have. Once Barrett and JPP were gone this D has been bottom of the league. Always wide open receivers. Can’t get off the field on 3rd down. Soft a$$ zone defense that apparently is so complex that no one can figure it out. Unfortunately for Bowles the offense under Grizzard is terrible. There’s nothing to mask the foul stench of the poor defensive play. If only they would have kept Coen and lauched Bowles out the door.
December 29th, 2025 at 9:04 am
JoeyJoeStein … ‘Charlie Strong…..Linebackers are non-existent’.
Actually Joey, I was thinking exactly the same thing. A younger LVD & a motivated Devin White were the keys to this defense.
I give the Bucs’ defense a pass for 2019 because of the ridiculous 41 giveaways by our offense & because they were transitioning to a 3-4 from a 4-3 under a new DC. But starting in 2020, the Bucs’ defense did some good stuff …
o 2020: Points Allowed – 355 pts (#8 rank) – LVD/White
o 2021: Points Allowed – 353 pts (#5 rank) – LVD/White
o 2022: Points Allowed – 358 pts (#13 rank) – LVD/White
o 2023: Points Allowed – 325 pts (#7 rank) – LVD/White
o 2024: Points Allowed – 385 pts (#16 rank) – LVD/Britt
o 2025: Points Allowed – 422 pts* (#23 rank) – LVD/SVD
* – Bucs have allowed 397 pts in 16 games (24.8 PPG average). Over 17 games that extrapolates to 422 pts.
The keys to Bowles’ hybrid 3-4 defense has long been the 2 ILBs. They not only must be fast to cover a tremendous amount of territory on each play, but they also blitz more than any other players on his defense.
Example: In his 63 games from 2020-2023, Devin White blitzed 364 times. In his 60 games from 2020-2023, LVD blitzed 181 times. Shaq Barrett blitzed more than any Buc other than Devin White … 235 times in his 54 games over the 2020-2023 timeframe.
In 2024 LVD blitzed 80 times in 17 games, but Britt only blitzed 23 times in his 14 games. In 2025 LVD has blitzed 49 times in his 16 games this season, and SVD has also blitzed 49 times in his 15 games this season. The next highest blitzer? Antoine Winfield with 44 blitzes in 16 games. OLBs like Diaby (23 blitzes), Reddick (18), Nelson (9) & Braswell (5) don’t blitz nearly as much as our ILBs blitz.
Folks can say what they want about Devin White, but he was a very good blitzer. He got 20.5 sacks in that 2020-2023 timeframe; not many MLBs who averaged over 5 sacks per year in those years. We certainly didn’t get that kind of productivity out of Britt or SVD.
December 29th, 2025 at 9:06 am
3rd and 28 fellas
December 29th, 2025 at 9:16 am
Keep preaching @ ChuckysBucs… yeah, Baker “single handedly…” yeah right, dude is a moron.
December 29th, 2025 at 9:23 am
“What Happened To The Bucs’ Pass Defense?”
Fans: Hey, you guys want to try and defend the pass?
Players: Nah, we’ll pass that request.
December 29th, 2025 at 9:28 am
Poor drafts, coaching and scheme.
December 29th, 2025 at 9:39 am
Definitely a repeat of 2011.
December 29th, 2025 at 9:40 am
The talent on this D has been declining for the past couple years. Once there’s enough film on the latest group NFL teams find the weaknesses and exploit them. Raheem Morris and Atlanta exposed KJ Britt last season, after the bye this season everybody pretty much figured out we have holes EVERYWHERE. I said at the time the Egbuka pick was wrong. Pierce was on the board. J. Campbell was on the board. RD2 we draft injured CB Morrison. We bring in malcontent Reddick. We drop $48m on very average CB3 McCollum. The two average guys from Pitt never holdup, and Dennis is at best a special teams guy. AWJ got his money and is a punk. YaYa just tries hard. Hall, not as good as Gholston. VV – has to deal with Dbl and Tpl teams. Two solid young guys – Parrish and Smith – still need to develop. And LVD, Father Time is knocking on his door.
Look at the guys we’ve cut loose JTS, Britt, D White. They’re backups at best wherever they are.
That’s what’s happened to this defense.
December 29th, 2025 at 10:00 am
I think Jeanna Laine needs to be fact checked about the QBr against during the first 8 games. With the exception of @Saints, the defense has stunk up the joint in every game, repeatedly giving up explosive plays.
December 29th, 2025 at 10:10 am
Your Ring of Honor GM flat out stinks at drafting defensive players. If this is not addressed either by launching the Licht bulb or brining is a solid defensive consultant with veto authority, the Bucs are in for more lost decades.
December 29th, 2025 at 10:12 am
Buccaneer Bonzai, fans will make a statement this week. The RayJay will be half empty this Saturday with the playoffs at stake. Message will be sent. Will it be received?……
December 29th, 2025 at 10:16 am
Bonzai- the Glazers won’t care. Those tickets are already paid for. Bags over the head and strong doses of boos would be more effective.
December 29th, 2025 at 10:35 am
COACHING MATTERS!!!!!! Look at Jax and look at us…
That’s all the proof you need.
December 29th, 2025 at 10:53 am
GaBucinRh Says:
December 29th, 2025 at 7:44 am
Name another team that has ever consistently crapped the bed on kickoffs…. ON KICKOFFS!!!!!
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Off the top of my head, the 2010 Chargers. They were ranked first in offense and defense. Guess how far they went in the playoffs? Trick Question, they didnt even make it. The game is won as a team in all 3 phases. They all need to compliment each other or else teams lose.
December 29th, 2025 at 10:55 am
Zero pass rush and a secondary that makes mental mistakes left and right.
Veterans like AWJ and Zyon playing like dogsh1t.
December 29th, 2025 at 11:12 am
What Happened To The Bucs?
It’s one of life’s great mysteries…
December 29th, 2025 at 11:13 am
@Lawrence, everything you mentioned is a by product of how Bowles leads this team. It’s goes all the way back to spring practices, ota’s, training camp. It goes to his preparation each week in practice. This team plays lackadaisical because instead of making the team grind through camp and weekly preparation Bowels wants the players to “like” him.
Bowles has held zero players or coaches accountable for their actions. They supposedly have an accountability board. Apparently that board is for participation trophies, you get a little pat and are told it’s okay when you consistently f’ up.
It’s been said time and time again, Bowles threw in the towel on special teams. A real coach would’ve made changes. You can’t be afraid to fire a friend when you’re the one in charge.
December 29th, 2025 at 11:36 am
Bowels is believing his own hype!
Toad … you are not really a defensive GURU!
You suck!
December 29th, 2025 at 12:11 pm
Through Week 9, the Bucs allowed a QBR of 43.4 to opposing quarterbacks, the best in the NFL over that span.
——–
What happened in week 9?
The Bucs defense gave up two long passing plays while in man-to-man vs the Pats. Despite the fact the defense had been playing really well in the prior weeks, a great in Detroit, a solid effort vs the 49ers, a complete domination of the Saints. Then in week 10? Dean gets injured on the opening series vs the Bills. So how did Turtle Todd respond? By going into his super soft zone shell, which is where he’s stayed and refused to move from.
Those numbers are just further proof of what my eyes have told me for years – the Bucs defense is GOOD when it’s aggressive and plays man, and is right there at the very worst when it plays zone. So explain to me why the Bucs lead the NFL in zone last year, and will be near the top again this year?
Also all you morons complaining about the Pats game, and “giving up too many big plays” – you’re the dopes that lead to coaches playing soft, and as always, you have no idea what you’re watching 90% of the time. I’ll gladly take a couple of big plays a game if it also means getting sacks, turnovers and stops. In that Pats game people whined about the defense, meanwhile the defense literally made three stops in a row in the 4th quarter and gave the ball back to Baker with a chance to take the lead, and he got 0 points out of – but thankfully he was able to pad his stats, like at Miami, with a garbage time score, which helped my fantasy team.
December 29th, 2025 at 12:14 pm
The bucs haven’t had a really great pass defense in 2 decades
December 29th, 2025 at 12:20 pm
UKBuccaneer Says:
December 29th, 2025 at 12:14 pm
The bucs haven’t had a really great pass defense in 2 decades
———
The Bucs 2020 Super Bowl defense as pretty great, in particular later in the season. While it was no 2002 Bucs defense, that 2020 defense had to beat Brees, Rodgers and Mahomes in the playoffs – that’s a murderers row if there ever was one. There’s a reason Bowles got the rep he got, and that was because of his aggressive man-to-man defensive that got after QBs. But, without Arians, he’s just a shell of his turtle self, sits back in zone, more worried about losing than winning.
December 29th, 2025 at 12:53 pm
I’ve heard the argument that the Bucs have a talent problem alot lately. And I’m not totally arguing that. But a couple thoughts on that:
1. You can convince me that the talent is bad on defense, but not on offense. This was a Top 5 unit last year and they’re pretty healthy at this point. And…
2. I’m a Bears fan and a Bucs fan. In Chicago we thought we had a lot of bad players last year. Then Ben Johnson came in and alot of those players magically got good.